REPORT ON THE ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER NAZI EXTERMINATION CAMP IN BELZEC, POLAND, 1997-98
Michael Tregenza I J -J -J -J -J -J -J -J
LUBLIN 1998
,J 3 - CONTENTS Historical Introduction 5 Introduction to the Investigations 12
Investigation from 12·25 October 1997
I Method of Investigation 12 II LocationlInvestigation of Mass Graves 13 III Positive Soundings: Camp Structures 15 IV Archeological Investigations at the Ramp 15 V Investigations with an Electronic Metal Detector 16
Investigation from 27 April- 7 June 1998
VI Location/Investigation of Mass Graves 17 VII Investigations with an Electronic Metal Detector 19 VIII Positive Soundings: Camp StruclUres 19 IX Archeological Excavations: Object 'A' 20 Object 'B' 21 Object 'C' 23 X Traces of Camp Structures: 1. Within the Memorial Area 24 2. Forester's Field N of Entrance Gate 24 3. Land Around Forester's Cottage and Outbuildings 24 4. Forest E of Memorial Area 25 5. Area of the Sawmill 25 6. E of the Memorial Area 25 XI Conclusions 25 XII Future Invesligalions: 28 a) Main Gale 29 b) First Gassing lnslallalion 29 c) Second Gassing lnstallalion 29 d) 'die Sell/elise' 29 e) Cremation Pyres 29 Acknowledgements Maps and Plans
I I 5
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION
Selzec village is situated in a remote area of pine, fir and silver birch forests in the far SE corner of Poland, on the main highway between the cities of Lublin in Poland and Lvov in the Ukraine. The Ukrainian border at Hrebenna is only 17 km. to the SE,l Construction of Ihe extermination camp began on I ovember 1941 on a2andy. wooded slope on the outskirts of Ihc village, 500 m. SE of Selzec railway station. Local labour under 55-supervision cleared an area of 255 m. x 250 m. on the slope and began the construction of wooden barracks, one of which was to contain gas chambers.2 The N boundary of the camp was formed by a massive German anti-tank ditch and earth rampart which had been constructed by Jewish forced labour in 1940 as pan of the German·Soviet demarcation line. The main Lublin-Lvov railway formed the 5 boundary, while to the E it was limited by Ihe foresled ridge al the top of the slope. Beyond the ridge, a steep, forested escarpment descended 10 the country road to the nearby hamlet of Szalenik. Beyond the road, to the E, stretched a dense forest which also extended around and beyond the 5 end of the camp. The perimeter of the camp was surrounded by a double fence of barbed wire and wire netting - Ihe OUler fence camouflaged with greenery, and a second camouflaged barrier was erected at (he foot of the E escarpment and in the forest to the 5. Originally. one watchtower was erected near the centre of the camp and three others at the comers, with the exception of the NW comer next to the camounaged gate. At this point a railway siding from the Lublin-Lvov line entered the camp and ran along the foot of the slope; inside the camp the siding divided into two parallel tracks, of which only the one to the E was initially utilized. The local work force was dismissed on 22 December 1941 on the arrival from German) of the first camp commandant, S$-Obersturmftihrer/Kriminalkommissar Christian WIrth. a career police officer from the Stuttgart detective squads, who accompanied the first group of about \0 55-guards.) Thirty-one men were eventually to serve in the camp, with about half that number present at a time, reinforced by over 100 renegade Soviet POWs , mainly Ukrainians. in the pay of the 55.4 Construction of the camp was completed in the New Year by the Soviet guards and a group of 100-150 Jews rounded up in nearby towns and villages. The Jews completed the construction of the first gassing installation, a small wooden barrack built on an N - 5 axis
I In 1942, Belzec was in Ihe Lublin Dislrict, one of five SS-adminislered DistriCIS which comprised thast part of Poland not annexed to the Reich or occupied by the Soviet Union. After the war, Beluc continued LO be in the Lublin Voivodship until 1975 when it eame under the adminiSlration of Zamosc Voivodship. ! Measurements specified in the Report of the Polish War Crimes Commission of Ihe Zamosc Disirici Court. daled 11 April 1946. Okregowa Komisja Badania Zbrodni Pn.eciwko Narodowi Polskiemol Inslytul Paml(ci Narodowej. Lublin (hereafter OKBZ). file No.: Os. 1604/45· Zamosc. In 1947 the Main Commission for the Investigation of German Crimes in Poland. based in Warsaw, amended the dimensions 10 275 m x 263 m. published in Main Commission Bulletin No.3. pp. 29-45: 'Oboz zaglady w BeI7.cu·. Warsaw 1947. In the prosecution documents against forrrl<::r member of the camp staff, Werner Dubois. who served in Belzee from April 1942 . May 1943. the dimenSIons of Ihe camp are given as 250 m. x 200 m. District Court. Munich I. lile - No.: 22 Js 68161: The Case Againsl Werner Karl Dubois. J The firsl group of camp guards came: from the psychialric inslilulion at Bernburg, 140 km SW of Berlin. where they had panicip3ted in the gassing of German menial patients. Bernburg was one of SIX such kllhng cCnlres which operated from February 1940 - Augusl 1941 and in which over 70,000 patients were killed under - the code designation '1'4'. Since June 1940. Wirth had been 'roving inspeclor of Ihe killing ccrmcs. 4 The Soviet roWs were recruited for service with the SS from Stalags 319 and 325 in the cily ofChelm. 60 km E of Lublin. and trained in a special SS camp at Trawniki in the Lublin Districi. From there they \\cre - sdecloo by Wirth for duty in Belzcc. 1be platoon leaders were Soviel VolksdeulSChe (ethnic Germans) who \\cre bi-hgual in Russian and German. The aUlhor has a list of 104 such Soviet troops who served in Belzec. ..J 6 ncar the main gate. The gassing barrack was raised on concrete foundalions and entry was via a single door on the S side, fronted by three steps. Inside, the barrack contained three zinc lined chambers, each one measuring 6 m x 4 m., and entered from a corridor inside the entry door. At the opposite end, three exit doors opened onto an unloading platform contruclcd of wooden planks, that ran the length of the building. All six doors to the chambers were hermetically sealed and fastened shut by heavy wooden locking bars.s The Jews who completed the construction of the camp became its first victims. They were gassed in onc of the chambers with Zyklon S, a hydrocyanic acid based pesticide issued to all German military units in the field, which since the war has become synonymous with extermination in Nazi camps. • Further test gassings using Zyklon B were carried out on several small transports of Jews from the transit ghettos at lzbica and Piaski on the Belzec - Lublin road. A second series of tests was run using carbon monoxide (CO) gas from steel cylinders connected to a system of pipes installed in the chambers. [ In mid-March, the exhausts of a Soviet tank engine were connected to the pipe system and the first full-scale gassing of Jews using engine exhaust fumes as the means of killing was carried out on two transports on 15 March.6 Regular gassings in the Belzec camp began on 17 March, the victims were Jews from the ghettos of Lublin and Lvov and the transit ghettos al lzbica and Trawniki - men, women and children. the old sick and infirm - all those classified by the 55 as unfit for work. They arrived at Belzec station in sealed railway freight wagons which were shunted in batches onto the siding in the camp. There the Jews were unloaded, deposited their luggage in specified places in the assembly rard, and directed in groups into an undressing barracks. men, women and children together The old, sick and infirm who were incapable of proceeding alone were left lying on the ground at the siding. From the undressing barrack a short. covered passageway led directly to the gassing barrack which had a capacity of about 1.500 people. This number included a high percentage of children.s Once the three chambers were full and the doors locked, the engine exhaust fumes were pumped-in for about 30 minutes, after which the corpses were removed via the unloading ramp and piled into a line of dump trucks on a narrow gauge railway that led to mass graves along the N fence. The unloading of the chambers and burying of the corpses was undertaken [ by a team of Jewish males selected from the transports.
} Dimensions are from the Repon of The War Crimes In\'utigation Commission of the Z:unosc District Coon in: OKBZ file No.: Os. 1604/45 - Zamosc. Details of the construction of the gassing barrack in: ibid.. statement by Stanislaw Kozak. 14 October 1945/Belzec. Kozak panicipated in the construction of the barrack. o The engine came from a Soviet T-34 or KV-I tank, both of which used the same type of engine. It was placed in a pit about 30 m. from the gassing barrack as these engines were notorious for leaking fuel. and connected to the gas chambers by an underground pipe. (Fig. 7). [ 1 According to former SS-Scharflihrer Erich Fuchs. who was on dUly ncar the door of the gassing barrack dunng the first few gassings, the Jews were divided into groups of 50 - 80 people. Zentrale Stelle cler Landesjustizverwaltungen. Ludwigsburg. (hereafter ZStL). file No.: AR-Z 251/59: The Case Against Kurt [ Bolender ~I af. p. 1783. Statement by Erich Fuchs. 8 April 1963/Koblenz. The early transpons were not segregated Into sexes before undressing. nor was the hair shorn off the women until after the gassing. A team of Jc"'ish barbers shaved the heads of the female corpses after ther were unloaded from the chambers. R"The figure of450 (150 to a chamber) mentioned by Polish witnesses who constructed the gaSSing barrack. [ repeated by the SS guards at their trial in Munich in 1963 ~ 64 and acttpted b)' the court. seems far too low. As \1\0 transports usually arrive daily, morning and afternoon. each with an average of 1,500 people on board. this would have meant 5 - 6 separale gassing operations every day. As each operation lasted up to twO hours. 10 - 12 hours would have been needed to deal with twO transports. With a maximum capacity of 1.500 victims in the gassIng barrack at a time. only 2 - 3 operations would have been necessary. (See also n. 17).
• 7
The spring of 1942 arrived early and the unexpected thaw hastened the decomposition of corpses in the graves. some of which were still open, causing the local German authorities 10 complain to the camp command about the stench and health hazard caused by the rotting corpses. Chloride of lime was spread over the human remains. but with little effecl. Concrete was then poured over the graves, but the concrete lids splil open due (0 the pressure of gases from the corpses. Finally. an auempt was made to cremate corpses in graves. but this (00 failed. The decomposing remains, mixed with sand and soil, would not bum.9 The gassing barrack remained in use until June when il was demolished, having claimed at 1O least 150,000 viclims. 11 was replaced by a much bigger, solid gassing building of red brick faced with concrete. also raised on concrete foundations, A central corridor ran the length of the building with three chambers on each side. II At the rear, in two machine rooms, the exhausts of a pair of Soviet tank engines were connected to a pipe system in the gas chambers . each engine served Ihree chambers. 12 The engines were operated and maintained by a team of six Ukrainian guards (who in civilian life had been mechanics) working in two shifts. and two Jewish mechanics, supervised by SS-Scharfiihrer Lorenz Hackenholt. The gassing building, designed and constructed under Hackenhoh's supervision. was named after him and an appropriate sign was placed on the wall next to the entrance: 'Stiftllllg Hackellholt' ('Hackenholt Foundation'),ll During June - July, most of the original barracks in the camp were demolished and the camp reorganized and rebuilt in preparation for the main gassing operation due to begin on I August. On that day, commandant Christian Wirth was promoted to Inspector of the SS Sonderkommandos at the three extermination camps operating in eastern Poland. known as the 'river Bug camps', operating under the code name 'Aktiofl Reinhard' (Operation Reinhard). He was replaced in Beluc by KriminaJoberinspektor Gottlieb Hering, also a career
9 SS.Obcrscharfuhrcr Heinrich G1ey menlions lime being spread over the corpses. ZStL. file No.: 208 AR-Z 268/59: The Case Against Lothar Hoffman ~t al.. p. 2887. Statement by Heinrich Gley, 6 February 1962JMunstcr). Sec also: 1. Peler ('Kordian'), 'W Belzcu podczas okupacji' in: 1. Peter (cd.), TomaslQwskie ,(I okllpacji. p. 190, TomasZQw Lubelski 1991. II) The figure of 150.000 viclims is from the prosecution case against SS·OberscharfUhrer Werner Dubois and is probably fairly accurate. Landgericht Munich I, file No.: 22 Js 68/61: The Case Against Werner Karl Dubois, p. 2007. II The exact dimensions of the new gas chambers are not known. bUI they probably measured 5 m. x 5 m. ~ interior of each chamber was painted wilh a lighl gloss paint, either yellow or grey, to faeililate easy and .... repealed cleaning. ZStL. AR-Z 252/59: The Case Against Josef Oberhauser tt 0/., p. 1514: Karl Schloch. II NO\'ember 196I/Kleve. Il These engines also came from petrol fuelled Soviet T-34 or KV-Itanks and were mounted on concrete plinths abovc the concrete floors of the machine rooms to allow the leaking fuel to bc hosed away. The usc of .... more than one engine is mcnlioned by SS-OberscharfUhrer Kurt Franz. National Archives, Washington DC. (hereafter NAWA), statement by Kurt Franz, 30 December 19591DUsseldorf. It would have been logical and cfficu:ntto have had IWO engines, each one serving Ihree chambers on either side of the corridor. .... IJ SS-$charfUhrer Lorenz Ibckenholt is one of the major Belzec war crimmals who has never been brooghl 10 JUSllce ahhough the Wesl Gennanjudicial authorilies believed in 196\ that lhere was suffiCIent evidence lhal he had survive
I. There was only one bone fide member of the 55 in this group: SS-Oberscharfiihrer Hans Girtzig, who was made cook for the Soviet guard unit; the rest were male mental nurses from the T4' killing centres who had participated in the gassing of German mental patients in Germany. Transferred to Lublin, they were kitted-out in Waffen-5S uniforms and given nominal 55-ranks. They underwent twO weeks basic military training at the SS camp in Trawniki before being sent on to Belzec. I; 'Work Jew' was an insidious term invented by the S5 to describe Jewish prisoners forced to work in the eXlermination camps. IOThe trIm 'die ScMel/se' was peculiar to Belzec. In the other extermination camps ar 50bibor and Treblinka th~ open-air corridor bel\veen the undressing barracks and the gas chambers was known as 'del" 5ch/ai/ell' (the 'Tube'), or the 'Himmel!ahrlStrasse' ('Ascension Road'). 1- A seaet directive from the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA) in Berlin. dated 8 June 1942. recommended 9·10 kws per sq m, in Ihe gassmg vans at the ChelmnQ (Kulmhol) extermination camp in the Warthcgau. It has long been debated whether in fact 750 people can be fitted into an area of 25 sq m. In the USA, experiments c3rned out by Charles D. Proven have demonstrated that it is quite feasible to fit over 700 people. well fed and fully..:lothed adults and children. in such a confined space. German anthropological studies demonstrated th3t the pr~\\'ar and wartime Jew was shorter and smaller in stature than the average German of that time. It must also be taken into consideration that the Jews deponed to Bel7..ec in 1942 were emaciated after months of starvation in ghettos. 9
After the engines had been switched orr. the corpses were removed from the chambers through three sets of double sliding doors on either side of the building. The doors opened onto two concrete unloading platfonns from which the corpses were dragged by pairs of Jews of the 'death brigade' to the mass graves. En route, Jewish dentists examined the mouth of each corpse and removed any dental gold, after which the corpses were stacked in the graves in layers. head (0 toe. and strewn with sand. The victims who had been unable to proceed through the extermination process unaided and who had been left lying on the Ramp, were carried on stretchers to small execution pits in Camp J] where they were shot in the back of the head. At the beginning of November - on (he orders of Reichsfi.ihrer·SS Himmler after his visit 10 Belzec the previous month - the destruction of evidence of the genocide was started in the camp during a temporary halt in the transports. The graves along the N fence were opened and their decomposing contents removed by a mechanical excavator operated by SS-Scharftihrer Hackenholt. Cremation pyres in the form of large grates constructed of railway lines were used to incinerate the remains of the hundreds of thousands of victims. IS The remains were piled Onto the grates. alternated with layers of wood. soaked with petrol and oil and sel alight. Between November 1942 - March 1943, the contents of most of the mass graves were exhumed and burnt at the rate of about 2,()(X) corpses every 24 hours. The pyres were tended by 160-180 Jews of the 'death brigade' working in two 12 hour shifts under SS-supervision. 19 In the spring of 1943, the liquidation of the camp was started. Fences and watchtowers were taken down. buildings of brick. stone and concrete demolished. and the wooden barracks burnt down. Finally, the charred and burnt residue from the cremation pyres - burnt human bones and carbonized wood - was crushed (0 small fragments in a diesel-operated bone mill supervised by a Jewish prisoner. 2Q The crushed remains were tipped into the opened and emptied mass graves. The last survivors of the 'death brigade', about 300 in number, who had dismantled and destroyed evidence of the camp and mass murder. were sent in sealed freight wagons 10 the Sobibor extermination camp for execution.21 They were shot on arrival and their corpses cremated. The site of the Belzec camp was inspected by a high-ranking SS/Police commission for any trace of incriminating evidence, and fir saplings planted in certain places to eamounage the area. On 8 May 1943. the S5 abandoned Belzee and the members of the camp garrison were redistributed to OIher camps in the Lublin District. 22 During the 10 months it had existed, the Belzec extermination camp had demoyed the majority of Jewish communities, both large and
II According to 55-0berseharrllhrer Heinrich Oley who supervised the construction of the pyres. the grates V>'ere made by arranging standard gauge railway lines on tOp of large stones. Narrow gauge railway lines were then placed crosswise on lop to form a close mesh. solid grate. ZStL. file No.: AR-Z 268/59: The Case Against Lothar Hoffman, el af., p. 2887: slatemenl by Heinrich Gley. 6 February 19621Miinster. 19 Ibid. .!O The bone mill and its oJXralor. an Hungarian Jew called 5zpilke. came from the Janowska camp in LI'Ov. Sl.pllke states that "hen he arr]\"oo in Belzec nOlhing remained of the camp. R. Reder. Be/:rc. Z~dowska KomlsJa Historyczna. publicauon No.4. p. 64. Cracow 1946. 1I The disposal of the last e~ewilnesses and participants in the mass murder al Belzec presented the camp S5 with a problem: if they were ShOI by either the 5S themselves or the Ukrainian guards, these guards could well belicve il would be lheir lurn nex!. also as eyewitnesses and participants. The camp command therefore decided to send the last Jews to Sobibor for disposal. 22 The dale of 8 May was given in lestimony by Tadeusz Misiewicz. the booking office clerk al Belzec station. OKBZ. file No.: Os. 16().J/45 - Zamose: statement by Tadeusz Misiewicz. 15 October 1945/Belw:. The Belzec S5-gamson were senllO the camps at 50bibor. Treblinka. Poniatowa. Dorohucza. BOOzyn. and the cenlral 'Akrion Rdtlhord" sorting camp for victims' belongings on the old Lublin airfield.
1- 10 small. in the Districts of Lublin. Lvov and Cracow, together with thousands of Jews from west -ern Europe. 23 As soon as the 55 left Belzec, the local population descended on the site of the camp in search of Jewish gold and valuables which they were convinced lay buried in the soil. Large excavations and deep holes were dug. some of which penetrated imo graves still containing unburnt human remains. This scene was witnessed by a former member of the 55-garrison who had been sent to Sclzec to check on the site. He reported the situation to his superiors in Lublin who immediately dispatched two small Kommandos of SS·NCOs and Ukrainian guards from the camps al Sobibor and Treblinka (0 clean up the area and further disguise il by planting more sJ:lplings. With the aid once more of local labour. a farm was buill near where the camp gate had once stood and a Ukrainian and his family installed as custodians against funher incursions by the local population. They fled before the advance of the Red Army in the summer of 1944 and the liberation of Belzec village on 21 July,24 On 10 October 1945, a Polish War Crimes Investigation Commission, led by judge Czeslaw Godzieszewski from the District Coun in zamosc, began an investigation into the crimes committed in the Belzec extermination camp in the course of which nine pits of various sizes were dug in the NE pan of the site. The investigation confirmed the existence of mass graves, some still containing human rcmsains, and the fact that thousands of corpses had
n About 50 Jews escaped from or survived Belue by vanous means, of whom ani) seven actually successfully escaped from inside the camp (another was shot immediatel) after escapIng). Those who escaped dunng the first phase (February-June 1942) were two women, Astman and Talenfeld from Zolkle", a 13-year-old bo} called Wols7.tajn from the Zamosc ghetto, and a dentist by the name of Bachner from the Cracow gheno. None of them survived the war. During the second phase (July-December 1942), three members of the 'death brigade', Birder, Bracht and Velser. escaped at the time of the exhumation/cremation operation. The rest survi\'ed either by absconding from work dutieS outside the camp, or by being transferred to other camps. The biggest escape was achieved by a group of Jewish youths (exact number unknown) aided and abetted by an SS guard .• SS-OberscharfUhrer Hans Girtzig. The youths had been sent into the forest to gather twigs for birch hrOOI1lS. escorted by only one Ukrainian guard whom Girtzig succeeded in getting drunk. Girlzig then told the Jews to disappear. Reder from the Lvov ghetto (the best known Belzec survivor), escaped from his guards while in b'ov collecting building materials for the camp; rabbi Spira from Blazowa, and two companions deponed from the Cracow ghetto. was transferred to Janowska camp, Lvov, after being ordered by the SS to escon a trainload of clothing from the victims to L\·ov. Rabbi Spira survived the war. Sara Beer. the only female survivor of Bel1.ec, was transferred to Trawniki camp in the Lublin District. together with 25-30 Other women. at the time of the disbandment of Belzcc, From Trawniki the women were sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, and then on the 'death march' to Bergen-Belsen camp in nOrlh Gennany in January 1945. When Belsen was liberated on 15 April 1945. Beer was the only member of the group from Belue still alive. Two other members of the 'death brigade', Hirszman and Here, escaped from the train taking the: last 'work Jews' of Belzec to Sobibor for execution. Hir)zman joined Ihe Soviet partisans and reappeared in Lublin after the liberation in July 1944 as an officer of the Communist secret police (UB). He was murdered in Lublin on 19 March 1946, the day he began his testimony in the District Court about his experiences in Belzcc. The murder was carried out by a group from WiN. a right-wing, anti-Communist and anti-Semitic underground group, in revenge for torturing members of the group during interrogations. By the end of 1946, only six Jews from the Belzec camp were still alive: Spira, Reder. BrachL Birder, Velser and Beer. They all emigrated 1O Israel. Reder laler went to Canada and ",'as the only prosecution witness at the Belzec Trial in Munich 1963-64. He did nOl recognize any of the accused and could not incriminate an)' of them with speCific crimes. Of the nine defendants in court. one (Hans Girtzigl was released as he was suffering from multiple sclerosis. seven had the criminal proceedings against them dropped because of 'mitigating circumstances'. i.e. they pleaded that in Belzec they had 'acted under extreme duress' and feared for their lives if they had nOi carried out orders. Only one, SS-UnterslurmfUhrer Josef Oberhauser. who had been commandant Wirth's constant aide, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years imprisonment at a separnte trial m Munich in 1965. He was released before he had served half the sentence. !~ The farm buildings were damaged dunng the fightin!l in the village and were: later demolished. [ 11
[ been cremated and the bones crushed imo small pieces. The human remains unearthed were reinterred in a specially built concrete crypt near the NE comer of the former camp.25 An attempt was made by the Commission to estimate the number of victims murdered in the camp, based on the testimonies of local villagers. Some claimed that the 55 and Ukrainian guards had boasted to them that they had killed between one and two million Jews. and members of the station staff also claimed that the number of victims was in excess orone million.26 An examination of available evidence - known number of transports and average number of Jews per transport - however, produced a figure of 530,000, although the Commission admitted that this was the lowest number possible. This figure has since been rounded-up to 'at least 6OO.00 ~ Findings of th~ lnvesligation Commission in: OKBZ, file No. Os. 1604/45 • Zamosc. :!f> Ibid. Statements by Ludwik Obalek, 10 October 19451Belzcc; Eustachy Ukrainski. II OelOber 1945/Belzcc; Alojz)' BereZQwski. 12 April 19461Jelenia GOTa. Chaim Hirszman. Ihe 'death brigade' survi\'or IUmed secret policemm testificd before Ihe Lublin District COlin on 19 March 1946 Ihat he bel;ie\'ed 1.800.000 Jews had been killed In Belzec. II The layoul of th~ Belue memorial area and the monument/mausoleum, in the form of a 3 m. sq block of Slone. 4.5 m. high, fa,'cd with large tiles of sandstone and lerrazzo, were designed by H, JabulaSlcwski. At the top of four broad step leading up 10 Ihe monument/mausolcum stands a 2 m. high semi·abslract sculpture b~ S Strl)~lUnskl and J. O::Jnlcki. deplcling an emaciated human form supporting the collapsed figure of anOlher. symbolizmg the suff~r:flg and compassion of one victim for anOlher. !J The COllage \\"3, firSI used as Ihe Bcluc officc of lhe Peoplc's Militia (MOJ. It was later taken over by the Forestry Commission lnd is presently occupied by the local forester. 19 The 1970 exca\ltion work uncovered at the NE corner of the camp several empty CO gas cylinders whIch .....ere undoubledly us<:J In the firsl gassing experimenlS in lhe gassing barrack in early March 1942. Tbc cylinders .....ere removed by a Pl'hsh anny bomb disposal squad from Chelm who sealed them Inside a former 50"ICI bunker abom 4 km E of Belu: between the hamlcl of Sl.alcnik and Zylke village. 12 INTROD CTION TO THE 1997·98 INVESTIGATIONS The archeological investigations carried out at the site of the Selzec extermination camp between 12-25 October 1997 and 27 April - 6 June \998 were instigated by the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. USA, with the primary aim of locating and defining the dimensions of mass graves and any remaining camp structures before plans were finaliz.ed for a new monument and museum al the sileo The Council for the Protection of Monuments to Combat and Martyrology· the State authority entrusted with the upkeep of such sites· commissioned a speciallcam of experts to conduct the investigations. The learn consisted of: I. Prof. Dr. hab. Andrzej Kola, Director of the Underwater Archeology Depanmcnt al the Nicholas Copernicus University in Torun (team director); 2. Dr. Mieczyslaw Gora, Archeologist and Senior Curator at the Museum of Archeology and Ethnology in Lodz (senior supervisor on site); 3. Dr. Ryszard Kazmierczak, Archeologist and Assistant at the Archeology Department of Tornn University: 4. Dr. Wojciech Szuha, Geodesist and Assistant at the Archeology Depallment of Tornn University; S. Michael Tregenza. Consultant Historian from the UK: 6. Zbigniew Wieczorkowski, archeology student at TOTUn University;1 7. Radoslaw Siolkowski, archeology student at Torun University: 8. Robin O'Neil. historian from the UK (observer/video camera operator);] and three drivers from the University of Torun: Grzegorz Pawlowski,} Leszek Kieszkowski," and Roman Dombrowski.5 Physical labour at the site was provided by local unemployed males assigned to tbe work by the Belzec community head, Ryszard Pizun. The principal area to be investigated measured 220 m. x 120 m. and before the commencement of work on 13 October 1997, the author provided a general history of the extermination camp and its organization, together with a plan of the camp (drawn by the author) based 011 the written testimonies and sketches by former 55-guards. Luftwaffe aerial photographs of the Belzec area, and information obtained by the author from Belzec villagers, including three men who had participated in the construction of the camp in the autumn and winter of 1941. I. METHOD Of INVESTIGATION The first stages of the investigation consisted of the following: I. designating the precise area to be examined; 2. establishing the direction in which work would progress according to a fixed grid system: 3. drilling sounding holes using a hand operated geological drill with the aim of locating: a) mass gra\'cs and camp structures - 'positive' soundings; b) areas nO( containing either of the above, i.e. natural soil - 'negative' soundings: Present only during the 1997 investigation. ! Present onty dunng the t998 in\'estigation. I Present only dunng the 1997 in\'esllgation. • Present only during the 1998 investigation. < Present only during th.. 1998 investlgation. L 13 L Measuring work commenced under (he supervision of Dr. Wojciech Szulta. using a map of the memorial area and environs (scale: I: I,()(x), prepared in 1995 by the Voivod Gcodisic Office in Zamose) to locate at the site the position of Bench Mark 2007 (hereafter 8M 2(07) [ situated 272.4 m. above sea level. 8M 2007 is in the fonn of a small concrete post with an metal pipe inserted vertically through the centre and located 73 m. E of the entrance gate. From this central reference point, straight lines of sight to the N, S, E and W were established [ wilh the aid of a theodolite. Wooden Slakes were next driven into the ground. radialing QUI from BM 2007 to the four points of (he compass at 5 m. intervals throughout the forested S and SW part of the site. This particular are had been selected for the initial archeological investigation as it had not been disturbed by the work carried out during the laying out of the memorial area in 1961-63. Each individual stake was allotted a code number which was ploued on the 1995 map. Three teams of local labourers working in pairs used hand-operated geological drills at each 5 m. point to take soundings to a depth of 5 ffi. and withdraw core samples. t The first line of soundings progressed 10 the E from BM 2007 where the nalural soil was found to consist of the following strata: at depth 0 - 50 cm from ground level - sandy. light brown humus which formed the noor of the forest: at depth 50 - 100 em - red sand; at depth 100· 150 cm - yellow/white sand. Below this depth, the sand was paler in colour, dry and compact. This configuration of natural soil strata was typical of the entire area of the former camp. The findings during both the 1997 and 1998 investigations were recorded in detail in the form of: a daily diary: sounding holes plotted on the map; graph-diagrams (in colour) of soil strata in each sounding hole: inventory of soil samples taken for laboratory examination; • profiles of each excavation at selected spots, drawn to scale; inventory of objects found; photographs (b/w and colour, and video film of work in progress). Electronic metal detectors were also utilized on several occasions, operated by Grzcgorz Pawlowski, Robin O'Neil, Dr Eugeniusz Hanejko (Director of the Regional Museum in Tomaszow Lubelski), and the author. Significant finds were recorded on the inventory and later taken to the Conservation Department of Torun University. Throughout the course of the 1997-1998 investigations, 1,600 sounding holes were drilled throughout the memorial area and selected areas beyond the fences. II. LOCATlONflNVESTIGATION OF 1ASS GRAVES October 1997 Gra"e No. I. Located only J m, S of 8M 2007. AI 3.90 m. below ground level a layer of dark grey (burnt) sand was found in which were mixed pieces of carbonized \~ ood and fragments of human bones - among them an incisor tooth. This was the first indication of the I The depth was Increased to 6 m. for the 1998 Investigation. 14 presence of a mass grave. Beneath this deep layer lay a several centimetres thick layer of foul smelling water under which were found unburnt corpses compressed by the weight of soil to a layer only 20 em thick. The drill corc brought to the surface putrid pieces of human remains, including pieces of skull with skin and tufts of hair still anached, and unidentifiable lumps of greyish, fatty human tissue. The bonom of the grave was lined with a layer of evil smelling black (i.e. burnt) human fat. resembling black soap. As no evidence of fabric was brought to the surface. it may be assumed that the corpses are naked. The state of preservation of the corpses is due to the fact that they lay virtually hermetically scaled between the layer of water above. the layer of solidified fal below, underneath which the natural, dry and compressed sand through which no air could penetrate, resulted in their partial mummification. The dimensions of Grave No. I were determined as 40 m. x II m. and over 5 m. deep. Grave No.2. A small grave 70 m. E of BM 2()()7 and close to the S fence. contained at the depth of only 30 em a layer of pieces of carbonized wood beneath which at depth 1.50 m. there was a layer of unbumt human corpses. Dimensions of the grave: 15 m. x 5 m. x 2 m. deep. Grave No.3. This was the first mass grave the location of which was positively identified from a Luftwaffe aerial photograph taken in 1944, in which it appears as a T-shaped white patch and seems to be the biggest grave in me camp.l The presence of graves in this pan of the camp was also discernible at ground level by soil subsidence and different vegetation on the areas of subsidence. Upon investigation, however, it was found that the T-shape consisted of three separate graves (labelled 3, 5 and 6 on Fig. 4) with Grave No.3 forming the stem of the 'T'. It measured 20 m. x 15 m. and is at least 5 m. deep.2 After drilling through a 4.90 m. deep layer of dark grey sand mixed with pieces of carbonized wood and fragments of burnt human bones. a foul odour was released. The drill core brought [0 the surface pieces of skulls with skin and tufts of hair still attached. lumps of greyish human fat and fragments of unburnl human bones. The bottom layer consisted of putrid, waxy human fat. Grave No.4. Located immediately adjacent to the N side of BM 2()()7. measures 20 m. x 8 m. and is 5 m. deep. At depth 1.2001., burnt pieces of human bones were found. Beneath this. a layer of water signalled the presence of corpses at the next level. From below the waler layer the drill core brought to the surface pieces of unbumt human bones. including pieces of skulls with skin and hair still adhering and lumps of foul smelling greasy fat. indicating the presence of unbumt corpses Gra,'c No.5. Formed the left-hand bar of the T-shaped arrangement of graves 3. 5 and 6 (see Fig. 4), in which were found pieces of burnt human bones in a layer 2.60 m.• 3.80 m. deep. Near the Wend of the grave the bones were so densely packed together that the drill could not penetrale funher. Dimensions: 35 m. x 15 m. and at least 5 m. deep. Grave No.6. Forms the right-hand bar of the T-shaped arrangement of graves and measures 33 m. x 14 m. and is more than 5 m. deep. At depth 0.4 m. - 2.60 m. there is a layer of carbonized wood and fragments of burnt human bones. At the E end of the grave the ground is covered with grey sand containing a mixture of crushed pieces of burnt and unburnl pieces of human bones. A few silver birch trees stand between Graves 5 and 6. Additional test soundings were made in the vicinity of the four symbolic lombs near the E fence in an area where the Luftwaffe aerial photograph also indicated the presence of mass Air PhOlo Llbrar). Nalional Archives. Washington DC. USA. Film Roll No.: ax 8095 33 SK. exposure 1:'5. dated 15 May 194~. : It was because se,.. ral of the mass graves located and invesligated In October 1997 were found 10 be deeper than 5 m that the I..ngth of the drills in the 1998 investigation was increased from 5 m to 6 m. (: [ 15 graves. The location of three graves was confirmed in the area of symbolic tombs 1, 3 and 4. [ Their dimensions and depths were not determined at this time. 111. POSITIVE SOUNDINGS (CAMP STRUCTURES) [ Soundings were made in a line running due S from 8M 2007. AI a distance of 50 m. from 8M 2007. 20 m. SW of the Wend of Grave 1 and 10m. from lhe W fence, two soundings were [ positive al a depth of 1.20 m. At the first sounding the drill core brought to the surface the following items mixed with dark grey sand: r • 6 iron nails. a piece of galvanized iron. a piece of broken widow pane. a needle from a hypodermic syringe. part of a rubber boot. a link from a large iron chain. a piece of plastic. [ These items. mixed with burnt sand and pieces of carbonized wood, indicate the site of a camp structure. i.e. a wooden barrack destroyed by fire. The second sounding, 5 m. to the W. also revealed a layer of dark grey. sandy soil mixed with pieces ofcarbonized wood. probably anOlher pan of the same barrack. IV. INVESTIGAnONS AT THE RAMP The area of the Ramp selected for investigation was a 75 m. long section at the SW end where the direction of the former railway siding(s) led between two earth banks which had the appearance of partially demolished platforms 8 - 10 m. apart. It was difficult to determine the exact original width of each bank as they had partly collapsed and encroached on the path t between them. Both earth banks are overgrown with trees and bushes. Beyond the point where the earth banks terminate there is a clearing in the prewar forest and the terrain is very uneven. rising steeply to the E. Under the supervision of Dr Ryszard Kazmierczak, four sites on a E - W axis were marked on the ground for excavation, beginning in the clearing beyond the end of the platforms. Excavation No.1. At right-angles to the line of the Ramp, measured 8 m. x I m. and I rn. deep. Nothing of interest was found at this site, demonstrating that the railway siding(s) did not extend this far. Excavation No.2. Located 15 m. NNW of Excavation No. I, measured 14 m. x I m. and I m. deep. [n the W pan of the excavation clear traces of a standard gauge railway trackbed were uncovered. beneath which lay a bed of crushed brick and cinders (probably ballast for the railway tracks) covered with black grease. Funher excavation revealed a second trackbed running parallel and to the E of the first. There was also evidence that a third track branched from the E trackbed and led in a N direction. No further investigation of this track was possible, however, as it lay within the property of the forester. Six samples of soil were taken from Excavation NO.2 for laboratory analysis. Excavation No.3. Parallel to Excavations I and 2 and 30 m. NNW of Excavation NO.2. measured 10 m. x I m. and I m. deep. Continued evidence of two trackbeds running parallel in a ,:\W - SE direction were uncovered. During this excavation work a number of items were recQ\·ered. mainly iron nails of various lenglhs. large iron siapies and melal keys. Excavation NO.4. Located 15 m. IW of Excavation o. 3. measured 8.5 m. x I m. and 2 m. deep. Continued evidence of the parallel trackbeds was uncovered. 16 The final soundings of the 1997 investigation were taken al the NW comer of the square in front of the monument/mausoleum. Between ground level and depth 2.30 m. there was clear evidence that the soil had been thoroughly mixed by previous digging, most likely during the laying out of the memorial area in the early 19605. Several items were brought to the surface from the W part of this area: • • a length of steel wire, 2 pieces of broken window pane. 2 pieces of broken bonle. 2 iron nails. fragments of carbonized wood. and pieces of unburnt rotten wood. These items - the pieces of burnt and un burnt wood in particular - indicated the possible site of a partially burnt wooden structure worthy of further investigation in 199 . In was consequently labelled Object 'A' on the plan of the memorial area. V.INVESTIGATIONS WITH AN ELECTRONIC METAL DETECTOR The area of the Ramp in the vicinity of the four excavations was examined with {he aid of an electronic metal detector by Grzegorz Pawlowski and the author. The following items \\ere found: •I paraffin-fuelled railway signalling lamp, metal pans of a gas mask. 2 metal spoons. I prewar Polish coin (10 groszy, minted 1923), I live round ofrine ammunilion. 4 spenl rine canridge cases. I small aluminium screw. I cylindrical aluminium lube (Ienglh: 4.5 ems. diameter: 1.8 ems. with a label in Polish listing the pharmaceutical ingredients), a piece of metal pipe (length: 45 ems. diameter: 1.8 ems), a needle from a hypodermic syringe. lower part of a round aluminium lin (diameter: 8 em), 3 iron keys. 3 iron staples. $C"eral lengths of barbed WIre, 3 large nails. a round copper identity disc. I brass hook for a railway wagon locking bar. Electronic metal detectors (2) were also utilized in an area W of BM 2007 by Grzegorz Pawlowski, Dr. Eugeniusz Hanejko (director of the Regional Museum in Tomaszow Lubelski), and the author. The most significant find was the lid of a silver cigarette case bearing on the inside the inscription: Max Mu"k. Wien 27. This was the first material evidence at the site of the identity of a victim of the Belzec extcnnination camp. Note: the British historian, Robi" O'Neil. has ascertained that in all probability the cigarette case had belonged to a Max Munk, born ill Vienna in /892, and deported from there to Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia, via Prague, all /7 December /94/ on rransport 'N'. From rlleresiellstadr, MUllk was deported on transport 'Ag' to the transit ghetto ill Piaski. Ilear Lublill. 011 / April /942. Max Mlmk wOllld have bee" o"e ofthe early victims ofBe/zec. Other items included: • several lengths of barbed wire. metal spoons. iron nails of various sizes. spent rifle and pistol ammunillon of German and Soviet manufacture. 1 piece of naltened iron pipe (diameter: 10 ems). I pieee of heavy east Iron pipe (diameter: 5 ems), 2 zinc shoelrees ( inscribed: lVar.sza ...·a, ui. 8i~/al/ska /5. owner's. name illegible). I battered Polish army aluminium water bollie (with the No. 35257. inscribed around the neck)! a piece of whi!e.cnamel1ed ~.~I'IC. a quantity of shards of window pane glass. and broken bonles (including medICine bonlesJ. In an area a few mctrcs N of these finds. and close to (he S fence, evidence was found of another burned down wooden barrack. Items recovered from depth 1.20 m. included: 17 • small fragmenls of carbomzed wood. broken pieces of window pane. a piece of l.LnCC sheeting. 6 IrQn naIls. I needle from a hypodermic syringe. pieces of rubber boots, and I link from an iron chain. Close by. at depth 1.70 m., dark grey sandy soil containing pieces of carbonized wood indicated that here a wooden barrack al least 10 m. in length had been destroyed by fire. VI. LOCATIONflNVESTlGATlON OF MASS GRAVES April· June 1998 Grave 1\0. 7. Initially located in Delober 1997 in the vicinity of symbolic lomb No.4. Dimensions determined as 30 m. x 14 m. The symbolic tomb lay just to the right ($) of lhe grave. Carbonized pieces of wood and fragments of burnt human bones mixed with dark grey ash were found to a depth of 5 m. Grave [\0. 8. Of similar dimensions 10 grave No.7, but a 12 m. long arm of this grave projects 20 Ol. to the SW. Contains burnt pieces of human bones and fragments of carbonized wood. Grave 1\0. 9. Located immediately behind symbolic lomb No.1, next to the NE fence. measures 10 m. square and contains burnt human remains and pieces of carbonized wood mixed with grey sand. Note: the surface soil arOUlld graves 7, 8 alld 9 cOllsists of a thill layer of grey salld cOllwilling a large qualflity ofcrushed pieces ofbumt human bOlles. Grave 1\0. 10. One of the largest mass graves in the camp, lies 15 m. N of the monument/mausoleum and measures 2S m. x 20 m. At depth 4 m. a 80 Col thick layer of human fat was found below which lay unburnt human remains and pieces of unburnt large human bones. The drill core brought to the surface several lumps of foul smelling fany tissue still in a state of decomposition, mixed with greasy lime. Grave No. II. A smaller grave than any hitherto discovered (with the exception of grave No.2), measures II m. x 9 01 .• located immediately adjaccnt to the NE comer of the monument/mausoleum. A few fragments of burnt human bones mixed with innumerable small pieces of carbobized wood were found at a depth of only 1.90 m. Grave No. 12. Located immediately to the N of grave No. 10. is an L-shaped grave with the foot, measuring 20m., lying to the Wand the stem, 28 m. in length, pointing N. A small number of pieces of unburnt human bones were found at depth 3 m. mixed with grey sand [ and innumerable small fragments of carbonized wood. This layer extended to a depth of 4.40 m Grave No. 13. The smallest grave discovered in the camp. measuring only 5 m. x Sm. and 4.80 Ill. deep. Located next to the W fence. it contains a mixture of burnt human remains and pieces of carbonized wood mixed with grey sand. Grave No. 14. The largest grave in the camp. it extends beyond the N fence into the area of the adjacent sawmill. The section within the fence is an irregular zig-zag on the S side measuring 65 m. A 30 m. at its widest point E- W, and g m. al its narrowest. Contains burnt pieces of human bones and fragments of carbonized wood mixed with grey. sandy soil to a depth of 3.10 m. Originally, grave No. 14 could havc measured ca. 70 m. x 30 m. • 18 Crave No. IS. Another small grave, measuring 12 m. x 7 m. Situated adjacent 10 the S side of grave No. 14 it contains a mixture of picces of burnt human bones. fragments of carbonized wood and grey sand. Grave No. 16. Also located adjacent to grave No. 14 and immediately E of grave o. 15. Measuring 20 m. x 8 m. it contains a mixture of burnt fragments of human bones and carbonized wood to a depth of 4.10 m. Grave No. 17. Situated next to and S of graves 12 and 16, measures 16m. x 8 m. and is 3.50 m. deep. Contains a mixture of pieces of burnt human bones, carbonized wood and grey sand. Grave o. 18. Lies oexllo the S edge of grave o. 15 and measures 15 m. x 10 m. and contains the same mixture of burnt pieces of human bones. carbonized wood and grey sand. Grave No. 19. Located within the area formed by graves 14. 15. 18 and 20. and close to Ihe SW comer of grave 14. Measuring 14 m. x 8 m. it contains Ihe mixture of grey sand. burnt pieces of human bones and carbonized wood to a depth of 3.50 m. Gra,'c No. 20. In the form of a long trench at the \V end of grave o. 14 and is the last one at the N end of the group of 18 graves along Ihe fence. In the same manner as ils neighbour. grave No. 14. it also extends beyond the N fence into the area of the adjacent sawmill. The section within the fence measures 28 m. x 10 m. and reaches a depth of 5 m. At depth 4 m. there was found a dental bridge with four false leclh (2 amalgam and 2 while plastic). Originally, grave No. 20 could have measured 30-35 m. x 10 m. Gra,'c No. 21. One of the smallest graves, measures only 7 m. sq. Situated in the forested S part of the memorial area, midway between graves 5 and 7, it is also unexpectedly shallow, being only 1.70 m. deep and contains pieces of burnt human bones and fragments of carbonized wood mixed with grey sand. Grave No. 22. Also situated in the forested S part of the memorial area. in the shape of an inverted 'L', close to the NE comer of grave No.6. Measuring 27 m. on the long (E) side and 10 m. on the S side, it contains pieces of burnt human bones and fragments of carbonized wood mixed with grey sand to a depth of 3.60 m. Grave No. 23. Also one of the smaller graves, measuring 10 m. x 7 m., and located between graves 6 and 21. Contains burnt human remains to a deplh of 4.20 m. Grave No. 24. A narrow trench near the fence and next 10 Ihe E comer of grave No. 14. Contains burnt human remains to a depth of 4.80 m. Grave No. 25. Located immediately to Ihe E of graves 12 and 14, measures 14 m. x 8 m. and contains a mixture of burnt human remains, including corpses and skeletons, 10 a depth of 3 m. Below Ihis level there is aim. deep layer of waxy fat and greasy lime. A foul odour was released when the drill penetrated the layer of corpses and the drill core withdrew lumps of decaying fatly lissue and large pieces of bone. Grave No. 26. Another small grave, 9 m. x 9 m., and located immedialely next to the E edge of grave No. 25. Contains a mixture of burnt human remains to a depth of 4.20 m. Note: the soil above and around graves 25 alld 26 is covered with a layer of innumerable smallfragments ofbllmllllll/lOn bOlles and small pieces ofcarbonized wood. Grave 0.27. One of Ihe smaller graves, measures 10 m. x 4 m' l and Situaled close to the N end of grave No. 25. Contains burnt and unburnt human remains. The top layer consists of burnt human bones and carbonized wood beneath which there is a layer of grey. waxy ilme. The bonom of Ihe grave contains not completely decomposed human remains mixed with putrid smelling greasy human fat. (Cf. graves 10 and 25). 19 Grave No. 28. One of the smallest graves, measuring only 6 m. x 6 m. Located between grave 27 and the i'\ fence. it also contains burnt human remains beneath which there is a layer of grey. greasy lime. The bonom of the grave, at depth 4.90 m, is lined with putrid smelling, greasy human fat. (ef. graves 10. 25 and 27). Grave No. 29. Y1easures 30 m. x 10 m. in the form of a big trench. Located just to the NE of grave 26, its E comer is immediately in front of symbolic tomb No. I and contains pieces of burnt human bones mixed with fragments of carbonized wood and grey sand. Note: the ground betweell lhis grave and grave 26 to the NE is covered with a layer of innumerable [ragme"ts ojbumt and crushed human bones mixed with grey sand. Graves /2. 15. /6, /9. 24-26 alld 29 lie partly beneath the six grass-topped tiers bearing the /fms illtendedfor tire '[{emal Flames' Grave No. 30. Located in the N angle between graves 26 and 29, measures 10 m. x 4 m. Contains pieces of burnt human bones and fragments of carbonized wood mixed with grey sand to a depth of 3.80 m Grave No. 31. Similar in size to grave '0.30, measures 10 m. x 6 m. Situated next to the N fence between graves 28 and 29, this grave also contains a mixture of burnt pieces of human bones, fragments of carbonized wood and grey sand. Grave No. 32. Situated close to the N comer of the memorial site between graves 9 and 13. Measuring 15 m. x 5 m. it contains the mixture of pieces of burnt human bones and carbonized wood mixed with grey sand beneath which there is a layer of grey. greasy lime and a foul smelling layer of human fat containing decomposing human remains: the drill core brought to the surface pieces of skull with skin and tufts of hair still attached. At the bottom of the grave, at depth 4.10 m.. lie a large number of unburnt human bones. (ef. graves 10, 25. 27 and 28). The path to the small gate near the N comer of the memorial area passes over the S end of the grave. Grave No. 33. A small. shallow grave measuring only 5 m. x 5 m. and 2.80 m. deep. Located in the extreme NE comer of the memorial site, it contains tiny fragments of buml human bones mixed with small pieces of carbonized wood and grey sand. VII.INVESTIGATIO 'WITH AN ELECTRONIC METAL DETECTOR Robin O'Neil and the author utilized the electronic metal detector in an area close to the W fence. to the left (NW) of the entrance gate. The first sweep produced nothing of interest, only a motley collection of battered enamel kitchenware and an assortment of unidentifiable scraps of metal. Further sweeps. however, located the metal door to a stove, the metal nozzle of a watering can, the metal handle of a knife, and several prewar Polish coins of the smallest denomination. The only item of interest was the lid of a silver (?) cigarette case (no inscription). VIII.I'OSITIVE SO NDINGS (CAMP STRUCTURES) A. Between the N side of the monument/mausoleum and the S edge of grave No. 10 the soil was heavily mixed with dark grey sand. among which were found the following items in the 1.0 - 1.20 m. layer: 20 • fragments of rottcn wood, small pieces of carbonized wood, 2 pieces of broken window pane, 2 pieces of broken bottle, 2 metal keys and a few centimetres of steel wire. These items indicated the site of a wooden barrack which had been partly burnt down. B.5 m. to the W of grave 19 there were found at depths of 1.0 m. and 1.40 m.large fragments of red brick faced on one side with plaster, indicating that a solidly built structure had once stood on this site. C. Immediately to the SW of grave 19, and 6 m. SW of site B (above), close to the N edge of grave 20, a large amount of crushed brick, fragments of carbonized wood, a length of electric cable and a porcelain electricity insulator were found among a layer of powdery soil mixed with sand at depth 1.70 m. These items indicated either another solid building or the continuation of B. O. Evidence was found of small wooden structures grouped around the Nand E sides of grave No. 16. E. In the vicinity of graves 7, 8, 11 and 12 soundings located a quantity of fragments of carbonized wood mixed with grey sand across an area of 5501., indicating the possible siles of at least four small wooden structures that had been burnt down. Altogether, over the entire area of the former camp, and including soundings taken outside the fences of the memorial area, soundings were positive for possible camp structures at 65 locations. In some places only single soundings were positive, while in others they occurred in groups. The sites of demolished solid buildings, as opposed to wooden barracks, were indicated in several places by the presence of large amounts of broken red brick faced either with concrete or plaster, quantities of broken glass (including window pane glass), broken crockery and fragments of rotting or carbonized wood. Three such sites were selected for archeological investigation in 1998: I. Object 'A' (already pinpointed in October 1997): an area along the Wedge of grave 10, and 35 m. NW of the monument/mausoleum; 2. an area IS m. W of Object 'A' and 8 m. E of grave 18, labelled Object '8'; 3. an area 3 m. inside the W fence and 15 m. NW of the entrance gale, labelled Object 'C. IX. ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS 1998 Object 'A '. An area measuring 5.0 m. x 2.5 m. along the Wedge of grave 10 was selected for excavation. The top layer of soil (0 - IS ems) consisted of crushed red brick which had been spread over the surface of the 55 m. x 30 m. open square in front of the monument/mausoleum in the early 1960s. Below this, (IS - 30 ems) a layer of sandy soil contained the following items: • piece of tin inscribed 'erenr' (manufacturcr's name illegible). t prewar Polish coin (1 groszy. minted t923). J tin plate with holes at oppositc ends, a double-edged plastic comb, several lengths of barbed Wire, 2 iron heels (from bOOIS). 2 pieces of shoe leather. 1 large and heavily-corroded screw with a nat head (type fo,'110. diamcter: 8.5 ems), pieces of broken crockery (plates and mugs), heavily varnished pieces of fired ceramic. sevcral dozen pieces of broken glassware (bottles and jars. one with the inscripuon ·Oc1lrOIl110'). several dozen pieces of broken window pane, several dozen fragments of rouen wood, a substanual amount of fragments of carbonized wood. olld several doze', pieces of llllburn! Ill/mall bOlles. From the next layer (40 - 60 ems), there were recovered: 21 • an iron lid. :2 lengths of barl>cd WITe. ] lenglhs of iron wire. I spent Tifle cartridge case. I ITon cyclet (for attaching wIre to posts), assorted flat pIeces of iron, several unidentifiable iron objectS. pieces of ITon heel finlngs (for boolS). 5 iron screws of dIfferent lengths. I iron staple. piece of a plastic comb, piece of a rubber bool,2 pieces of leather soles, a bro"n knife handle, several dozcn pieces of broken crockery (plates and mugs), several dozen pieces of broken glassware (bOllles and jars), a large amount of small fragments of carbonized wood. Gild set'erat doun pitCts o/bllTllt and Ul1b,Unf hUlIlan bOlles. The 80 - 90 em layer, which consisted of yellow-white sand, was next removed. during the course of which the following items were found: • 4 prewar Polish coins ( 2 x 10 groszy. 2 x 5 groszy). a round eycglass from a pair of spectacles. I spent rine cartridge case. a metal lid. an aluminium lid, I glass ampoule. I ceramic bOltle stopper. I silver-plmed spoon. a whitc porcelain bottle stopper (inscribed 'Schul/heiss'. a famous German brewery), several dOlen fragments of rOUen wood. a very large amount of small pieces of carbonized wood. and uvual dol.tnlragmellts 01 burnt and ,,"burnt human bonu. Soil continued to be removed from the site to a depth of 1.60 m. at which level pieces of 3 Clll thick rotlen wood were uncovered in the N (short) wall of the excavation. From this. it was apparent thaI the structure had been a wooden barrack erected on a N-S axis on yellow white sand. From the soil layer 1.0 - 1.60 m. the following items were recovered: •I metal seal (for Imprinting on hot wax). handle of a metal spoon. a large amount of pieces of carbomled wood. and u\'t~ra/ doun Iragmenls ofburnl and unburnl human bones. Between the depths 1.60 m. - 2.80 m. several more items were recovered: • a brown plastic hair clip. piece of an aluminium thermos flask. I enamel cooking pot. I large iron nail. several dozen pieces of broken glass bottles and jars). a few fragmcnlS of rOllen wood, a large amount of carbonized .....ood. and a few fragments ofunburnl human bones. At the 1.60 m. level, the tops of three wooden posts began to be exposed. Near the centre of the excavation. at depth 2.60 m., there began to be .uncovered a section of a wall 1.60 m. in length and 1.60 m. high, constructed of 4 em thick wooden planks_ The planks were faslened 10 the three upright wooden posts which were now revealed as being 1.20 m. in height. This part of the structure had the appearance of one comer of a deep cellar constructed of wood. 4 m. below ground, with an entrance in the E wall. The section of plank wall seemed to be a continuation of the section of wall uncovered previously in thc N (short) wall of the cxcavation. Items recovered at this stage included a metal cufflink for a man's shirt. pieces of plaslic comb, and a few pieces of broken pottery. The three wooden posts were enveloped. in plastic sheeting and the excavation filled in. Object <8'. Localed 15 m. W of 'Object A' and 8 m. S of grave 18. An area measuring 8 m. x 5 m. on an E-W axis was marked out for excavation. On removing the lOp laycr of humus (0· 20 ems). the following items were recovered: • piece of a l~alher belt. pieces of a glass jar. piece of a porcelain jar. fragments of red brick faced \.\Ith concrele. fragments of rouen wood and carbonized wood. Such items indicated the site of a solid building destroyed by fire. From the 20-60 cm level were recovered: 22 • the aluminium lid from from an army water boule. a brown brooch. silver lid from a cigarclle case. SC\'eral lengths of barbed .....lre. sc\'eral pieces of broken glassware (bollies and jars. one of which bore part of an inscription: ·... rolill·). several pieces of broken window pane. several small fragments of rOllen wood. a substantial amount of small fragments of carbonized wood. st!lIual larg~ pite~s 0/ unburnt human bones. including lo"g bOlres (uppu and 101O'u utrtmities). fht skull ofa child and th~ skull 0/ an adult ft'malt. (minus /ht' low~r mandiblt'). Tht adultftmalt skull was ..·tll prtsu\·td and bort a srtUJlJ holt in tht crO"'n 0/ Ih~ cranium. too small/or any calibrt 0/fir~arm. and was probably tht rUlIlt ofa lrtphining opuation. Further excavation revealed evidence of intense burning on broken bricks and Slone among which were found: • 1 silver-plmed table spoon. piece of a metal spoon, a glass phial and I spent rine cartridge case At the 1.50 m. levellhere was continued evidence of burning on pieces of broken brick and stone. At deplh 1.70 m. the negative image of a wooden wall became visible, interspersed with fragmenls of rotten wood. and appeared 10 be pan of a cellar of wooden construction. Note: throughout the above-described stages o/the excavation o/Object '8' Ihere Iras evidellce ill places ofprevious digging, observed as diSlurbed, mixed soils. Between the 1.70 - 2.0 m. levels further items were found: • scYerallengths of barbed wire, I metal spoon. 1 chin3 bottle stopper. scvcral pieces of broken idow pane. 3 pieces of a plastic comb, pieces of a plastic hair clasp. a substantial amount of carbonized ood. broktn pit'cts ofdtll/lUts. stl'ual dolt" /ragm~nts ofburnl and unburnt hllrtUJ" bones, inc/llding long bont's (uppu alld lo",u ~Xtremilits), and pitas 0/sk.ulls ofadults and children. At this level too there was much evidence of burning: charred pieces of brick faced with concrete and pieces of charred stone. In the N (short) wall of the excavation there could be seen the negative image of a 6 cm thick wooden wall in which were embedded pieces of rotten wood. There was also more evidence of previous digging at this level. Close to Ihe wall were found: • a complete sct of dentures, pieces of plastic comb, 2 large nails and a long iron screw. At the 2.20 m. level in the N pan of the excavation there was found: • a glass globe (diameter: 6 em) filled with a clear fluid in which floated granules of differenl colours (probably a child's plaything). In the E part of the excavation. at depth 2.30 m., pan of a paved floor was uncovered, the extent of which could not be detennined. however, until the lower part of the excavation had been cleared of rubble and debris. When this task had been completed, the remains of three walls ( ,S and W) constructed of red brick faced on the interior with plaster. were revealed .. The exterior walls were unplastered. This had been a solidly constructed cellar measuring 2.60 m. x 2.50 m. below a wooden barrack. Among the rubble and debris the following items were found: • I glass phial. I metal chlscl. severallenglhs of barbed wire. 1 metal belt budle (civilian). I heavily-conoded melal spoon. alumimum lid 10 an army mess 1m, pieces of broken glass (bottles and jars), pieces of broken window pane. broken crockery (plates and mugs). alrd sevt!fol piues oju/lbllrnl human bOlles. From the concrete floor of the cellar there were recovered: •I spent Tine cartridge case, a plastic button (inscribed 'For Gemfemtn' around the circumference). a pale yellow plastic card (10 em x 6 em) bearing a blue Slar of David (a small. lnelal-rimmed hole at one end suggests it had been a label), and a melal kitchen knife. Outside the cellar. in the NE comer of the excavation, there were found: • 2 pau'S of spectacles. an aluminium lube (inscribed 'Casafgin'. and bearing the address of a phannaceutlcal firm In Vienna; pan of the label, in German, indicated that the contents had been an ointment ·...against 1/1/ wid rheumatism'). 1 an upper denture. I glass ampoule, 6 plastic hair clips. and part of a white plastic card bearing a blue Star of David (similar to the card found inside the cellar). Object 'B' was not filled in but remained open as an exhibit, under the protection of the wojt (village head) in Belzec. Object 'C'. Located 38 m. W of Object 'B' and 3 m. inside the W fence. An area of 3 sq m. was selected for excavation. At a depth of 60 ems from the surface the following items were found: • a glass bottle (intact. inscribed 'S)'nerga Warswwa", 2 metal belt buckles (civilian). 2 lengths of barbed wire. several long screws, several dozen assorted pieces of broken glass (bollies and jars). several pieces of broken window pane. Funher excavation revealed the structure to be a concrete cellar or bunker measuring 3 m. x 3 m. and 1.30 m. below ground level. The following items were found between depthS 60 ems - 1.30 m.: • a metal army water bottle, part of a pocket mirror with the photograph of a child on the reverse. a glass boule (intact. inscribed ·Crodl.isk'). a small glass medicine OOllle (inscribed 'mgr Kia .....a. lVars:a .....a·). a glass stopper for a bottle. I metal table spoon. a piece ofyeilow plasllc with a blue Star of David (similar to the twO prevIously found). 2 ffiCtal kitchen kni\'es, I metal key, a round aluminium cap for an army water boule. several lengthS of barbed wire, a metal bolt nut, I toothbrush . On cleaning the interior of the structure of soil and debris, there could be seen in each of the four comers a several centimetres deep square apenure in the concrete floor. Immediately above each apenure there is the imprint in the concrete wall of a square wooden post. Upon closer examination, it seemed likely that there had once been a plank floor above the concrete base. The structure had been constructed by first digging a square pit several centimetres wider all round than the intended structure, lining the pit with double wall of planks and pouring concrete into the intervening space. The planks were removed after the concrete had sel. The t imprint of planks was clearly visible on the interior walls. There was also evidence that the interior walls had once been plastered. [ , At one stage during this exca\'ation. a strong medicinal smell. similar to a pharmacy, was notcd comlOg from the earth. 24 Because of the shallowness of the structure in the ground there must have been anOlher, wooden structure above it. supported by the four wooden posts in each comer. Descent into the cel1arlbunker would have been by ladder. x. TRACES OF OTHER CAMP STRUCTURES I. Within the Memorial Area Altogether. 62 sites within the memorial area were recorded as positive for camp structures of various sizes: some were indicated by only a single sounding. The majority of Structures were concentrated betwe..:n the mass graves along the N fence and diagonally across the area between grave 20 and grave 8, a distance of 190 m. The largest of these structures appear to be three barracks next to one another in a rectangular area between graves 28. 27. 25 and 24. and the E end of grave 14. Around graves 21 and 23, in the forested SE part of the site. there appear to be a cluster of six small structures, wilh six more in the forested SW pan. Several other small struclUres appear to have been grouped along the E fence. behind symbolic tombs 3 and 4. 2. F'oreste.-'s Field ~W of Ent.-ance Gale With the permission of the local forester domiciled in the cottage to the S of the main gate. soundings were taken in the area of his field (ca. 80 m. x 30 m.) to the leC! of the entrance gate where the N part of Camp I had once stood. Soundings at the N end revealed the largest camp structure discovered during the entire 1997-98 investigations. Built on a -S axis the structure measured 30 m. x 30 m. with a wing at the S end measuring 20 m. x 8 m. projecting to the W. Three small structures to the Nand S may be parts of the main building. Two more small structures were located 20 m. SW of the main building and immediately 10 the left of the entrance gate. 3. Land Around Foreste.-'s Cottage and Outbuildings Positive soundings running N-S were recorded over an area measuring 36 m. x 18 m. The soil in this area consisted of grey, sandy soil, mixed with fragments of carbonized wood. pieces of brick. cement monaro pieces of broken window panes and pieces of mirror, assorted fragments of broken glassware, china and porcelain. A part of this structure projected 18 m. into the memorial area, as far as the paved path leading from the entrance gate to the square in front of the monument/mausoleum. Evidence of a second Structure was found in the 'W comer, immediately adjacent to the parking area. The field to the 5 of the forester's cottage (ca. 90 m. x 45 m.) was not investigated because 3 bean crop was being cultivated. However, permission has been granted 10 investigate this area in October 1993 when the land will be fallow. ~~ - ~------ 25 ..t. Forest SE of the Memorial Area Soundings were taken in the forest 10 a distance of 5S m. beyond the E fence of the memorial area. Evidence of a 15 m. long structure built on an E-W axis was found 5 m. outside the fence. The surrounding area showed signs of the soil having been much disturbed previously. At a distance of 40 m. from the fence and 25 m. SE of the above structure, a large, round and deep crater-like depression al the highest point of the terrain was investigated. This appeared to be the remains of a bunker/defensive firing position destroyed by an explosion. AI ground level for some distance around the crater large chunks of stone faced with concrete were found. together with fragments of shell shrapnel. From this elevated and apparently military position. a firing trench extended W for 20 m. in a zig-zag configuration. each section of which measured 7 m. .Vote: ill view of the elevated position of this bllllkerlfiring posirion (10 Ill. above the celltral area of the camp alld /5 m. above the level of the Lubli,,-Lvov road and railway), ir seems logical for a warchrower to have stood above the bunker, affording an overview, "01 o"ly of rhe camp. bur ofthe entire Be1z.ec area. 5. Area of the Sawmill Soundings were taken on the area of the sawmill adjacent to the N fence of the memorial area, 10 a distance of 50 m. from the fence. Opposite graves 14 and 20 innumerable small fragments of carbonized wood were found together with pieces of burnt human bones. It was difficult to determine the exact extent of these two graves into the area of the sawmill as the whole terrain to the N of the memorial area was excavated and levelled in the early 1970s. At that time and since then the soil has been deeply gouged and mixed by heavy machinery. 25 m. N of the fence and almost parallel with the E end of grave 14. evidence was found of a 15 m. long structure. It is impossible to determine at this stage of the investigation whether this structure belonged to the camp; it is necessary first to determine the exact line and angle of the anti-tank ditch and rampart constructed in 1940 (destroyed in 1970) in order to determine whether or not the structure lay within the N fence of the camp. 6. I of the Memorial Area An excavation measuring 5 m. J( 4 m. and 1 m. deep was carried out at the foot of the steep. forested escarpment beyond the E fence. alongside the paved country road to the hamlet of Szalenik. The negative image of wooden posts were uncovered. indicating that a fence had once existed beside the road. XI. CONCLUSIONS • The most significant and unexpected facts to emerge as a result of the 1997-98 investigations are the large number of mass graves discovered (33), and the large number of indications of camp structures of various sizes (65) scattered throughout the area of the former extermination camp, and the deep cellars beneath some of the buildings. Several of the calllp structures correspond approximately in position with buildings shown on 26 the undressing and barbers' barracks. workshops, warehouse, and bunker for the electricity generator; in Camp n, barracks and kitchen for the Jewish 'death brigade,).l • The two main phases of the camp's gassing operations may be identified by the arrangement of the mass graves and camp structures between the graves. Thus, the apparent proliferation of small wooden structures between the graves of the first phase may have been temporary barracks for the Jews of the 'death brigade' employed in digging the mass graves, and shelters for the guards. Three of the smallest wooden structures arranged at intervals around the Wand S part of the grave field from the first period suggest watchtowers overlooking the grave digging work. The structures in the S half of the camp area doubtless date from the second period. (Fig 8). • Graves 12 and 14-20, ranged along the N fence, correspond to witnesses' statements as 2 being the first 10 be utilized during the period February-May 1942. They undoubtedly contain the remains of the Jews from the Lublin ghetto, deported to Belzec camp between mid-March - mid-April 1942, and the remains of early transports from the Lvov ghetto and the transit ghettos at lzbica and Piaski. In these grave also lie the remains of German Jews deported from the Reich in April-May to lzbica and Piaski, and thence to Bclzec. • Graves 10, 25, 27, 28, 32 and 33, which contain a layer of lime covering still decomposing human remains, date from the spring of 1942 when the local German civil authorities complained about the health hazard caused by decomposing corpses Il1 open graves. Chloride of lime was spread over the six still open mass graves identified above in an effort to avoid epidemics breaking out. • Evidence of the subsequent failed attempt at cremating corpses in graves may be found in the small graves near the N fence, Nos.:27, 28 and 32, in which a layer of burnt human remains and pieces of carbonized wood. The bottom of each of these graves is lined with a layer of human fat. • With the exception of grave 14, the comparatively small size of the other graves clustered around it near the N corner of the camp is indicative of the smaller transports of this period which carried on average 1,500 victims each.J • Some of the smallest graves (e.g. Nos.: 13,27,28,32 and 33) could be the execution pits in which the old. sick and infirm Jews were shot during the first phase, while graves 2, 21 and 23 could be the execution pits from the second phase. Such small graves correspond I Sketches and wrinen descriptions of the camp layout during the second phase (July-December 1942) by members of the former 55-garrison in: ZStL, file No.: AR-Z 252159: The Case against Josef Oberhauser et a/.. pp. 1287-1288: Heinrich G1cy, 10 May 1961fMunster; pp. 1340-1341: Heinrich Unvcrhau, 10 July 1961/Koni~sluttcr; pp. 1360-1361: Hans Girtzig, 18 July 19611Berlin; p. 1412: Kurt Franz, 14 September 1961/Dusseldorf; pp. 1-164-1465: Robcrt luhrs. II October 1961/Frankfurt-am-Main: p. 1507 Karl Schluch. II Novembcr 19611Kleve. l According 10 witnesses. the first and largest mass grave (No. 14) was dug by mcmbers of the Soviet guard unil while the C;lmp was under construction. It look six weeks to complete the lask, OKBZ. lile No.: Ds. 1604/45 Zamo~c Statements by Bell.cc villagers 1945-46. l The e:trly transports consisted of 8-15 wagons with an avcrage of 100 Jews with their luggage per wagon. 27 \~ ith descriptions given in teslimony by former members of the 55-garrison al their trial in Munich 1963-64.4 • At lca • From the wealth of evidence uncovered by the 1997-98 investigations it is obvious that the camp SS did not by any means erase all traces of the extermination camp. as hitherto believed. The majority of the wooden barracks were burnt down and the carbonized wood broken up into fragments: solid structures were demolished and the bricks, stones and concrete or cement broken into pieces and buried. Solidly constructed cellars beneath cenain buildings were used as refuse pits into which were thrown items of glass and metal which could not be completely destroyed by fire. The cellars were then simply fi lied in with soil. Other articles of glass and metal were buried among the remains of burnt down wooden barracks. At the Ramp, the wooden support posts and planks retaining the sandy soil of the two platforms - the negative images of which were uncovered during the 1997 investigation - were also removed and most likely burnt. • It has long been thought that only one railway siding existed at the Ramp and that it was later extended further into the camp to accommodate the longer transports of the second phase. However. the construction of such an extension would not have been possible due to the forested and uneven terrain at the SW end of the camp. Luftwaffe aerial photographs of Belzec taken in 1940 and 1944 clearly show that two parallel tracks existed on the camp area. Witnesses also mention the existence of twO tracks during the second phase.6 It is • For descriptions of an execution pit and method of shooting see: ZStL. file No.: AR-Z 252/59: The Case Against JoscfObcrhauser el al., p. 1554: Heinrich Oley. 24 November 1961/MiinSler: p. 1484: Raben Jiihrs. 12 October 1961IFrankfun-am-Mllin. Both Glcy and Ji.lhrs were assigned 10 execution duty. It is nOi conceivable that only one such e:l:ecution pit existed in the camp, as these witnesses state. • SS-Oberscharflihrer Heinrich Ole)', who supervised the daytime shift at the cremation pyres, has testifkd aboot tnc cremations: 'The whole procedure during the burning of the e:l:humed corpses .....as so inhuman. so unaesthetic. and the slench so horrifying that people today who are used to living everyday Ih·es cannot possibly stretch their imaginations far enough to recreate these horrors'. ZStL. file No.: AR-Z 252159: The Case Against JoscfOberhauser ~I 01. p. 1699: Heinrich Gley, 7 January 1963/Munieh. '-\Ir Photo library. National Archh·es. Washmgton DC. USA. Film Roll No.: TU GX 933 F7 SK. c:\:posure 089. dated 26 Ma~ 19.10: film roll toJo.: OX S095 33 SK. exposure ISS. dated IS t-lay 194.1 ZStL. file No.: AR- 28 also apparent from the large amounts of engine oil and grease found on the trackbeds in 1997 that locomotives entered the camp and did not always remain outside the camp gate having shunted the wagons from behind - as stated by many witnesses. • The number of watchtowers around the camp perimeter was probably larger than claimed by witnesses. The original number of three lowers at the comers (with the exception of the NW comer by the main gate) and one in the camp itself. must have been increased during the reorganization/rebuilding of the camp in June-july 1942, prior 10 the increased extermination activity which began on 1 August. and the employment of 1,000 'work Jews' in the camp. Evidence of three small wooden structures al S5 ffi. intervals along the E fence indicate the probable position of such additional watchtowers. • In the autumn of 1942 there was increased partisan activity in the Belzec area which necessitated extra security precautions by the camp SS and Soviet guard unit.' One such measure was the construction of a concrete bunker at the SE comer of the camp. on the highest point of the terrain. It would also have been logical and effective to have had a watchtower above the bunker, affording a clear aU-round view and field of fire over the entire camp area and its environs. •A comparison of Figs. 7 and 8 confirm that during its first phase Belzec was a temporary, experimental camp where the procedures and logistics of mass extermination by gas and the burial of corpses were tried and tested, initially on the Jews of the Lublin ghetto, before being applied at the Sobibor and Treblinka extermination camps. It can also be secn that the original camp structures and mass graves of the first phase were concentrated along the N fence. leaving the majority of the camp area empty and unused but ready for utilization and expansion at a later date. The primitive. experimental gassing barrack and undressing barracks were also temporary structures. replaced later by bigger and more solidly constructed buildings to accommodate the increased number of victims. XII. FUTURE INVESTlGATlONS Continued investigation at Belzec is essential to determine the exact dimensions of the camp and the exact locations of the following: a) main gate; b) first gassing installation; c) second gassing installation; d) route of 'die Schleuse ': e) cremation pyres. Z 252/59: The Case Against Josef Oberhauser el al., p. 1681: Josef Oberhauser. 12 December 1961fMunich. DiiU)' of Wilhelm Cornides. cnU)' on 31 AuguSt 1942 in: Vimtljahreshtftt fUr Ztitgtschichle No.7. pp. 333·336, MUnich 1959. Com;des was a Wehnnachl NCO who travelled through Belzec on a passenger train on 31 August 1942. 1 ZStL. file No.: AR-Z 252159: The Case Against Josef Oberhauser tt al., p. 1288: Heinrich Cley, 9 May 1961/MiinSler. 29 That the original camp area was much bigger than the present day memorial area is not in doubt, bur the exact extent of the camp remains unknown (0 this day. Determining the exact dimensions. however, presents certain problems: I. locating the line and direction of the boundary has been rendered especially difficult by the complete obliteration of the original terrain: 2. 10 the S, the boundary lies in a densely forested area and extends at least 50 m. beyond the present day fence; 3. to the SW. part of the area of the fonner camp has been buried beneath a railway embankment. constructed in the late 19605 to a accommodate a set of sidings. Only the topography of the E boundary, along the top of the ridge above the road to the hamlet of Szalenik, has remained virtually unchanged. a) The main gate was located immediately to the S of the 1940 anti·tank ditch and rampart. destroyed in 1970. and within a few metres of the main Lublin-Lvov railway line. With the aid of the Luftwaffe aerial photographs, surveying equipment, and local knowledge, it should be possible to locate its position with accuracy. b) The concrete foundations. or part thereof. of the original gassing barrack, could still lie beneath the rough grass verge between the forester's field to the lefl of the entrance gate to the memorial area and the paved road that runs alongside the road, and at a poim about half~way between the path to the entrance gate and the N end of the field. As the forester has mentioned to the author that on occasions he has damaged fann machinery on a concrete structure near the E end of his field. this suggests that such a construction could be the walls of the pit in which the gassing engine was placed - 30 m. from the gassing barrack. c) The lack of any clear evidence to date of the site of the second gassing building ('Stifllmg Hackellho/t ') is intriguing. It may well be the case that the 5S deliberately destroyed and removed all evidence of the most incriminating structure in the camp. On examination of the arrangement of all the mass graves and camp structures located during the 1997-98 investigations (Figs. 4 and 6), one area stands out as the most likely site of this building: an area devoid of any graves or structures ncar the NE corner of the camp, and today a few metres in front of symbolic tomb NO.2. d) From the probable position of the second gassing building described above, and the position and angle of the undressing barracks during the second phase (Fig.8). it should be possible to plOl the most likely route of 'die Schleuse'. e) There is much discrepancy about the number of cremation pyres. Witnesses mention 1- 4. 8 while the 55 at their trial in Munich 1963~64 admitted to only two being used. each one measuring 5 m x 5 m. The first was constructed in mid-November 1942 and the second during the first week. of December. but the 55 were not asked where the pyres were located in the camp and they did nOt offer the infonnation. According to 55 testimonies. at least 6OO.0Cl0 corpses were cremated on these two pyres between November 1942 - March 1943.9 If we I OKBZ. file No.: Ds. 1604/45·Zamosc. statementS by witnesses 1945-46. Mieczyslaw Kudyba. mentions }·3 pyres. Stanislaw Kozak and Alojzy Berezowski 2-3. Eugenius1. Goch and Edward Ferenc 3, Edward Luczynski ~·4. Maria Daniel and Jan Glab· several. 9 ZStL. file No.: AR·Z 252159: The Case Against JosefOberhauser et al.. p. 2887. Heinrich Oley, 6 Fcbru:lry 1962IMullsler, During the Belzee Trial in Munich 1963·M. Gle)' originally stated that at least 660.000 corp~es 30 accept that only two pyres were used to cremate at least 6OO,()(X) corpses, and only a part of the total number of corpses were actually exhumed and cremated - as demonstrated by the 1997·98 investigations - then the total number of victims must be considerably higher than the presently accepted figure of 600,000. Similarly, if more than two pyres were in use, e.g. 3-4, during the five month period of the exhumation/cremation operation, the number of corpses cremated could have been doubled. It is therefore possible - and in agreement with the total lO Slated by Alojzy Berezowski, the Polish station master at Belzec, and Olhers - that the final death toll of the Belzec extermination camp is in the region of one million victims. II had been cremated. He later changed this to 600.000. and thcn to 'at least 540.00CJ'. The dimensions of the pyres arc also from Gley's tcstimony. IOOKOZ. fik No.: Os. 1604/45-Zamosc: Alojzy Berezowski. 12 April 19461Jc1enia Gora. II It rna)' be possibk during future investigations at Belue to estImate at least an approximate number of corpses oncc comained in the 33 mass gravcs. based on the known number of corpses exhumed from mass graves at other sites. e.g. Kat)'n. Kharkhov. Miednoje. etc. and the contents and cubic capacity of these graves. The mass gra\"es in Belue have a capacity in excess of 2.500.000 cu m. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indebted to Andrzej Prlewoznik, Secretary General of the Rada Ochrony Pamieci in Warsaw for funding my participation in the 1997 archeological investigation in Belzec, and to Jerzy Halbersztadt. Director of the Polish Program in Warsaw of the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington DC, for arranging financial support from the USHMM for my participation in the 1998 investigation. Marcin Roszczik, head of the team of designers of the new monument to be erected at Belzec, generously made a private donation. The cooperation of Prof. dr hab. Andrzej Kola, head of the archeological team in Belzec. is gratefully acknowledged. and Dr Mieczyslaw Gora, senior supervisor althe site, deserves special thanks for his constant. detailed and friendly cooperation and patience throughout the investigations. Drs Ryszard Kazmierczak and Wojciech Szulta also deserve thanks for their cooperation. The often unpleasant tasks al Belzee were made more bearable by the presence and friendship of fellow UK historian Robin O'Neil. The cooperation of Dr Jadwiga Jastrzebska, Tomasz Romski and Anna. Bober at the InstytUl Medycny Wsi in Lublin in providing computer facilities and technical advice in the preparation of this report is also gratefully acknowledged. M iclwel TregerlZlI Lublin, Pollllld September /998 שער הכני סה אנדרטה הפרו פס ו ר – אחראי על ה מחקר אחד הבורות